With an extensive discography that spans
the past decade, Cheapmachines' Philip Julian has
tested out many sonic configurations in his day, working extensively
with both analogue and digital equipment. Cast, a
30-copy-only delight from the very intriguing Beartown label,
focuses principally on the organ, but modulates
its emanations with several digital effects. The resulting
artifact is a resplendently blissful dronescape -- twenty minutes of
indisputable, ethereal glory.

The tape begins with a tinny, sustained
organ chime and builds effortlessly from these gossamer beginnings,
blossoming as layers of reverb and electronics pile on top of one
another, carrying the listener off on an entrancing wave of skyward
majesty. It isn't a complex formula by any means, but it's
remarkably effective from an aesthetic standpoint.And what ultimately matters in this sort of atmospheric music
is the aesthetics. Unlike a lot of morose drone work, Cast is
an uplifting, sunny venture, not intended for bedtime listening but
instead for bright, bleached-out summer mornings. Pitch a tent on an
uninhabited beach, bring along only a stack of books and a stereo,
and put this on as the sun bleats down in the early morning.
Theresulting
orgy of organic organ radiance (I'd stop short of deeming it
orgasmic) proves to be an unmitigated
delight.